Canadian government has declined Toronto’s request to decriminalize possession of small amounts of drugs for personal use, stating it “does not adequately protect public health and maintain public safety.”
In a recent statement, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Ya’ara Saks said: “This includes concerns with feasibility and ability for law enforcement to implement the proposed model, protection of youth, and lack of support from key players including the Province of Ontario.”
The government made the decision a day after the Ontario government asked Toronto to withdraw the request, which it described as “misguided” and “disastrous.”
In a letter to Dr. Eileen de Villa, Health Minister Sylvia Jones and the province’s Solicitor General Michael Kerzner stated that the province would not support the request made to Health Canada in early 2022 for an exemption under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.
Ontario Premier, Doug Ford, also repeated that his government would not support the request in his letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, in which he urged the federal government to stall the approval of new safe supply sites.
Ford wrote: “As we’ve already indicated to Toronto Public Health, we do not, and never will, support their application to decriminalize illegal drugs. Please consider this our formal confirmation to the federal government that we are 100 percent opposed to their proposal.”
Toronto’s drug decriminalization request came back to spotlight after British Columbia requested to recriminalize the use of select drugs in many public spaces after problems which stemmed from an exemption order earlier granted to the province,.
In a recent statement, Dr. de Villa said now that decriminalization, which she described as just one “evidence-informed policy tool”, was no longer an alternative, “the need to invest in other available evidence-based interventions is all the more critical.”
She said: “Increasing funding and access to a broad range of treatment options, which is the responsibility of the province, is another tool required to address the drug toxicity epidemic.”
She declared her support for Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow’s call for collaboration between all levels of government to tackle the “complex epidemic.”
She said: “Toronto Public Health remains a ready and willing partner to explore collaborative approaches on this important and urgent health issue.”
Before the decision of the federal government was announced, Chow, in a letter, urged all three levels of government to collaborate on points of agreement to tackle the opioid crisis.
According to the Mayor, the approach should include a 24/7 Crisis Centre; expanding access to evidence-based treatment for substance use; supportive housing to solve complex needs; and other measures.
She wrote: “I believe this approach, with a strong focus on expanded treatment options, can significantly reduce the devastating impact of the drug toxicity epidemic in Toronto and across Ontario.
“We all agree more treatment is vital.”